Reasoning For Year-End Perks

Hard To Understand

(The following letter to the Newtown Board of Education has been received for publication.)

To the Board of Education:

After this year’s painful budgeting process, it is difficult to understand how you can justify the pay increases and perks you recently approved for a number of nonunion employees. As voters, we were relentlessly hit over the head with the direness of our education budget and begged to vote for a budget which amounted to a loss of numerous programs and teaching positions and a pay cut for teachers.

Now, all of a sudden, at the end of the year when voters and the press are focused on other matters, you found money. We would like to know where it came from. This is not a commentary on the performance of the employees involved. It is a question of your decisionmaking process and the manner in which the Board of Education operates.

The voters deserve an explanation of your reasoning behind voting for the following pay increases and perks:

 •Mrs Chrystie moved to increase all nonunion salaries by 1.5 percent with the exception of the following: Dr Robinson (superintendent), Linda Gejda (assistant superintendent), Ron Bienkowski (director of business), Joan Libby (director of human resources), Gino Faiella (director of facilities), Tony DiLonardo (director of transportation), and Kathy June (administrative assistant to the superintendent). Mr Nanavaty seconded.

Vote: 6 ayes

•Mrs Chrystie moved to increase the base salary of Dr Robinson (superintendent) by two percent to be made up in an equivalent amount of furlough days, a $5,000 stipend, $20,000 annuity, $400/month car allowance and to extend her contract by one year. Mrs Wiedemann seconded. Vote: 6 ayes.

•Mrs Chrystie moved to increase the base salary of Linda Gejda (assistant superintendent) by two percent to be made up in an equivalent amount of furlough days, $7,500 annuity, $300/month car allowance and to extend her contract by one year. Mr Nanavaty seconded. Vote: 6 ayes.

•Mrs Chrystie moved to increase the base salary of Ron Bienkowski (director of business) by zero percent, a $5,000 stipend, $300/month car allowance and to extend his contract by one year. Mr Nanavaty seconded. Vote: 6 ayes.

•Mrs Chrystie moved to increase the salary of Joan Libby (director of human resources) by zero percent and to extend her contract by one year. Mr Nanavaty seconded. Vote: 6 ayes.

•Mrs Chrystie moved to increase the salary of Gino Faiella (director of facilities) by three percent. Mr Nanavaty seconded. Vote: 6 ayes.

•Mrs Chrystie moved to increase the salary of Tony DiLonardo (director of transportation) by zero percent. Mrs Wiedemann seconded. Vote: 6 ayes.

•Mrs Chrystie moved to increase the salary of Kathy June (administrative assistant to the superintendent) by two percent. Mr Nanavaty seconded. Vote: 6 ayes.

In light of the fact that teachers received a pay cut and town employees received a pay freeze, it is difficult to understand how these are justified at this time.

Lisa and Michael Floros

32 Queen Street, Newtown                                              June 26, 2009